EU guidelines on death penalty

SUMMARY OF:

Political and Security Committee — EU guidelines on death penalty — Common guidelines

SUMMARY

WHAT DO THESE GUIDELINES DO?

They create an operational tool to be used by the EU towards working to abolish the death penalty across the globe. In non-EU countries where the death penalty still exists, the EU urges them to restrict and reconsider the use of it.

They form an integral part of the EU’s action plan for human rights and democracy.

KEY POINTS

• In non-EU countries where the death penalty still exists, the EU urges them to restrict it by abiding to minimum standards, such as not issuing the death penalty for non-violent crimes, or as a mandatory sentence.
• The EU intervenes (through public statements and diplomatic representations) both on individual cases and at a general policy level when a non-EU country changes its stance towards using the death penalty.
• EU funding allows non-governmental organisations to advocate and campaign for the abolition of the death penalty.
• The EU will seize all appropriate opportunities to raise the issue of abolishing the death penalty in relevant multilateral forums (e.g. United Nations Human Rights Council).

BACKGROUND

The EU considers the death penalty to be a serious violation of human rights and human dignity. No compelling evidence exists to show that the death penalty serves as a deterrent to crime. Moreover, it can lead to the killing of innocent people (should verdicts be overturned).

The EU advocates a ban on the death penalty as a first step towards abolition. The United Nations General Assembly passed resolutions on this in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, which has built momentum worldwide.

ACT

Political and Security Committee — EU guidelines on death penalty — Common guidelines, 12 April 2013

last update 07.03.2016